Menu Labeling and Calories Purchased in Restaurants in a US National Fast Food Chain.

Importance: Menu labeling has been implemented in restaurants in some US jurisdictions as early as 2008, but the extent to which menu labeling is associated with calories purchased is unclear.

Objective: To estimate the association of menu labeling with calories and nutrients purchased and assess geographic variation in results.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A cohort study was conducted with a quasi-experimental design using actual transaction data from Taco Bell restaurants from calendar years 2007 to 2014 US restaurants with menu labeling matched to comparison restaurants using synthetic control methods.

Associations Between Different Types of Housing Insecurity and Future Emergency Department Use Among a Cohort of Emergency Department Patients.

Housing insecurity can take multiple forms, such as unaffordability, crowding, forced moves, multiple moves, and homelessness. Existing research has linked homelessness to increased emergency department (ED) use, but gaps remain in understanding the relationship between different types of housing insecurity and ED use. In this study, we examined the association between different types of housing insecurity, including detailed measures of homelessness, and future ED use among a cohort of patients initially seen in an urban safety-net hospital ED in the United States between November 2016 and January 2018.

Impacts of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid Expansion on Mental Health Treatment Among Low-income Adults Across Racial/Ethnic Subgroups, 2010-2017.

This study examines whether the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion (ME) was associated with changes in racial/ethnic disparities in insurance coverage, utilization, and quality of mental health care among low-income adults with probable mental illness using the National Survey on Drug Use and Health with state identifiers. This study employed difference-in-difference models to compare ME states to non-expansion states before (2010-2013) and after (2014-2017) expansion and triple difference models to examine these changes across non-Hispanic White (NHW), non-Hispanic Black (NHB), and Hispanic/Latino racial/ethnic subgroups. Insurance coverage increased significantly for all racial/ethnic groups in expansion states relative to non-expansion states (DD: 9.

ED-Home: Pilot feasibility study of a targeted homelessness prevention intervention for emergency department patients with drug or unhealthy alcohol use.

Background: Housing insecurity is prevalent among emergency department (ED) patients. Despite a surge of interest in screening for patients' social needs including housing insecurity, little research has examined ED social needs interventions. We worked together with government and community partners to develop and pilot test a homelessness prevention intervention targeted to ED patients with drug or unhealthy alcohol use.

A Matched Analysis of the Association Between Federally Mandated Smoke-Free Housing Policies and Health Outcomes Among Medicaid-Enrolled Children in Subsidized Housing, New York City, 2015-2019.

Smoke-free housing policies are intended to reduce the deleterious health effects of secondhand smoke exposure, but there is limited evidence regarding their health impacts. We examined associations between implementation of a federal smoke-free housing rule by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and pediatric Medicaid claims for asthma, lower respiratory tract infections, and upper respiratory tract infections in the early post-policy intervention period. We used geocoded address data to match children living in tax lots with NYCHA buildings (exposed to the policy) to children living in lots with other subsidized housing (unexposed to the policy).

Association of substance use characteristics and future homelessness among emergency department patients with drug use or unhealthy alcohol use: Results from a linked data longitudinal cohort analysis.

Homelessness and substance use are intricately related, and both are prevalent among emergency department (ED) patients. This study examined the longitudinal association of substance use characteristics with future homeless shelter entry among ED patients with any drug use or unhealthy alcohol use. We present results from a longitudinal cohort study of public hospital ED patients who screened positive for drug use or unhealthy alcohol use and who were not homeless at their baseline (index) ED visit.

Cross-sectional Analysis of Food Insecurity and Frequent Emergency Department Use.

Introduction: Emergency department (ED) patients have higher than average levels of food insecurity. We examined the association between multiple measures of food insecurity and frequent ED use in a random sample of ED patients.

Methods: We completed survey questionnaires with randomly sampled adult patients from an urban public hospital ED (n = 2,312).

Impact of New York State's Health Home program on access to care among patients with diabetes.

Introduction: Access to care is essential for patients with diabetes to maintain health and prevent complications, and is important for health equity. New York State's Health Homes (HHs) provide care management services to Medicaid-insured patients with chronic conditions, including diabetes, and aim to improve quality of care and outcomes. There is inconsistent evidence on the impact of HHs, and care management programs more broadly, on access to care.

Development of a homelessness risk screening tool for emergency department patients.

Objective: To develop a screening tool to identify emergency department (ED) patients at risk of entering a homeless shelter, which could inform targeting of interventions to prevent future homelessness episodes.

Data Sources: Linked data from (1) ED patient baseline questionnaires and (2) citywide administrative homeless shelter database.

Study Design: Stakeholder-informed predictive modeling utilizing ED patient questionnaires linked with prospective shelter administrative data.

Health-Related Social Needs Among Emergency Department Patients with HIV.

Little research has examined the health-related social needs of emergency department (ED) patients who have HIV. We surveyed a random sample of public hospital ED patients and compared the social needs of patients with and without HIV. Social needs were high among all ED patients, but patients with HIV reported significantly higher levels of food insecurity (65.

Homeless Shelter Entry in the Year After an Emergency Department Visit: Results From a Linked Data Analysis.

Study Objective: Housing instability is prevalent among emergency department (ED) patients and is known to adversely affect health. We aim to determine the incidence and timing of homeless shelter entry after an ED visit among patients who are not currently homeless.

Methods: We conducted a random-sample survey of ED patients at an urban public hospital from November 2016 to September 2017.

Health-related material needs and substance use among emergency department patients.

Emergency department (ED) visits related to substance use are common. ED patients also have high levels of health-related material needs (HRMNs), such as homelessness and food insecurity. However, little research has examined the intersection between ED patient HRMNs and substance use.

Disparities in food access around homes and schools for New York City children.

Demographic and income disparities may impact food accessibility. Research has not yet well documented the precise location of healthy and unhealthy food resources around children's homes and schools. The objective of this study was to examine the food environment around homes and schools for all public school children, stratified by race/ethnicity and poverty status.

Undocumented Latino Immigrants and Research: New Challenges in Changing Times.

Latinos are the largest immigrant group in the United States, representing 17.6% of the total U.S.

Patient-Centered Care in Small Primary Care Practices in New York City: Recognition Versus Reality.

Background: The Primary Care Information Project (PCIP) is a program administered by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to help primary care providers adopt a fully functional electronic health record (EHR) and focus on population health. PCIP also offers practices assistance with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) patient-centered medical home (PCMH) recognition application. The objectives of this study were to assess the presence of key dimensions of PCMH among PCIP practices with 5 or fewer providers and to determine whether and to what extent NCQA recognition was related to the presence of these dimensions.

Temporal trends in motor vehicle fatalities in the United States, 1968 to 2010 - a joinpoint regression analysis.

Background: In the past 40 years, a variety of factors might have impacted motor vehicle (MV) fatality trends in the US, including public health policies, engineering innovations, trauma care improvements, etc. These factors varied in their timing across states/localities, and many were targeted at particular population subgroups. In order to identify and quantify differential rates of change over time and differences in trend patterns between population subgroups, this study employed a novel analytic method to assess temporal trends in MV fatalities between 1968 and 2010, by age group and sex.

The Introduction of a Supermarket via Tax-Credits in a Low-Income Area.

Purpose: Interest and funding continue to grow for bringing supermarkets to underserved areas, yet little is known about their impact.

Design: A quasi-experimental study was used to determine the impact of a new supermarket opening as a result of tax and zoning incentives.

Setting: The study took place in the South Bronx, New York City, New York.

Dietary variety is inversely associated with body adiposity among US adults using a novel food diversity index.

Background: Consuming a variety (vs. monotony) of energy-poor, nutrient-dense foods may help individuals adhere to dietary patterns favorably associated with weight control.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine whether greater healthful food variety quantified using the US Healthy Food Diversity (HFD) index favorably influenced body adiposity.

Assessment of a government-subsidized supermarket in a high-need area on household food availability and children's dietary intakes.

Objective: To assess the impact of a new government-subsidized supermarket in a high-need area on household food availability and dietary habits in children.

Design: A difference-in-difference study design was utilized.

Setting: Two neighbourhoods in the Bronx, New York City.

A water availability intervention in New York City public schools: influence on youths' water and milk behaviors.

Objectives: We determined the influence of "water jets" on observed water and milk taking and self-reported fluid consumption in New York City public schools.

Methods: From 2010 to 2011, before and 3 months after water jet installation in 9 schools, we observed water and milk taking in cafeterias (mean 1000 students per school) and surveyed students in grades 5, 8, and 11 (n=2899) in the 9 schools that received water jets and 10 schools that did not. We performed an observation 1 year after implementation (2011-2012) with a subset of schools.

Development and evaluation of the US Healthy Food Diversity index.

Varied diets are diverse with respect to diet quality, and existing dietary variety indices do not capture this heterogeneity. We developed and evaluated the multidimensional US Healthy Food Diversity (HFD) index, which measures dietary variety, dietary quality and proportionality according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). In the present study, two 24 h dietary recalls from the 2003-6 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used to estimate the intake of twenty-six food groups and health weights for each food group were informed by the 2010 DGA.